Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell watches his team play during their football game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, in Ames. Kansas State takes a 21-14 lead into halftime.(Photo: Brian Powers/The Register)Buy Photo

AMES, Ia. — While driving home very late Saturday night, I couldn’t get out of my mind what David Montgomery said after Iowa State’s furious fourth-quarter rally resulted in a 42-38 victory against Kansas State:

"There was no coaches' message," Montgomery told reporters after the Cyclones won six Big 12 games for the first time in school history. "It was more of a players' message: 'We've got too much trust in each other just to give up.'

“Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is being talked about in numerous NFL front offices as a potential head-coaching candidate, league sources said, with the Browns among them. Campbell is an Oho native who coached previously at Toledo and grew up a Browns fan, and he has earned a strong reputation among NFL scouts and evaluators who have scouted his players over the years.”

That’s not surprising. Campbell is a good coach. He turns 39 on Thursday. He’s taken Iowa State football to places it’s never been, in just his third season as the coach.

Campbell to the Browns?

Here’s another line from the CBS story:

"I like him a lot," said one NFL exec who has gotten to know Campbell over the years from being on campus to evaluate his players. "He has the personality for it. He's been highly productive. I can see why he would appeal to NFL teams. He is definitely generating a buzz."

Matt’s been linked to Ohio State, to Tennessee — and now to the Browns.

Here’s what he said, unprompted, at a scheduled August press conference that took place around the time Ohio State's domestic violence allegations were going on — allegations that resulted in coach Urban Meyer being suspended and assistant coach Zach Smith being fired.

Campbell started the presser like this:

"Over the last two-and-a-half years, I've proven that my whole sole mission is to be here and to do something. With that said, as we go forward, I have the utmost respect for you and the job you have to do, but I'll only answer questions that pertain to our football program, Iowa State football and our future."

So stay tuned.

Back to Old ISU vs. New ISU

Montgomery is right — Campbell changed the culture of the Cyclones' football program: There are no locker room cliques; everyone is on the same page; no one is more important than anyone else.

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Iowa State's Brock Purdy (15) rushes during their football game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, in Ames. Kansas State takes a 21-14 lead into halftime.(Photo: Brian Powers/The Register)

Old Iowa State didn’t take a knee when taking a knee would have successfully preserved a lead by running out the clock a few years back in a game at Kansas State. Instead, the Cyclones ran a play, lost a fumble — and the game.

New Iowa State was Kyle Kempt taking a knee on Saturday’s final play.

And that’s just one example of the new wave that is Iowa State football.

Purdy was a beast, too

While Montgomery was churning out yard after yard with the tackle-breaking moves that will allow him to end up as the school’s first consecutive 1,000-yard rusher since the 2000 and 2001 seasons...

Quarterback Brock Purdy was doing his thing, too.

It’s still hard to grasp that this young man was playing high school ball at this time last year.

Saturday night, Purdy completed 20 of 27 passes for 337 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also rushed 10 times for 37 more yards.

"Best game of his career," Campbell said.

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Iowa State's David Montgomery (32) rushes for a touchdown to make the score 41-38 during their football game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, in Ames. Iowa State would go on to win 42-38.(Photo: Brian Powers/The Register)

Five of his completions went to Hakeem Butler, for 144 yards and a touchdown. He seemingly was open on every play — and when he was, Purdy nailed him.

“He showed his age,” Butler said. “He’s a 30-year old man out there running the show."

Bill Snyder’s farewell?

I don’t know. It didn’t come up after the game.

He was, however, gracious in defeat — and honest.

“I’ve never really lost a ballgame that way, so I don’t know how to dissect it,” he told reporters. “I can’t tell you what my feelings are right now, because I’m not sure I know.

“I’ve just never experienced a loss like that — not even back in, whatever that was ... ancient history.

“Wasn’t to be, I guess.”

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of Iowa State football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete.